Just two candidates from Cornwall standing in European Parliament election

JUST two of the candidates standing in the European elections next month are from Cornwall.

The list of candidates for the election – which takes place on May 22 – was published yesterday and showed that just two are based in Cornwall.

Jude Robinson from Pool is standing as a Labour Party candidate and Robert Smith from Penzance is standing for UKIP.

The remaining 46 candidates are all from elsewhere but despite the election being for the south west region 12 of them are listed with addresses outside the south west.

Out of the British National Party’s six candidates just two are based in the south west with the others based as far away as Wigan, Eccles and Stockport.

And even the Conservative Party has candidates based outside the region including former Olympic rower James Cracknell from London and others from Richmond-upon-Thames and London.

The south west region for the European elections also includes Gibraltar but just one party – the Liberal Democrats – is fielding a candidate from there.

Just four of the south west’s current six MEPs are standing in the election – Sir Graham Watson (Lib Dem), William, Earl of Dartmouth (UKIP) and Ashley Fox and Julie Girling (both Conservative). Glyn Ford, who has previously been a Labour MEP, is also standing.

In the south west there are currently three Conservative MEPs, two UKIP and one Lib Dem.

Parties fielding candidates in the south west are An Independence from Europe, British National Party, Conservative Party, English Democrats, Green Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and UKIP.

Rather than voting for individual candidates in European elections you vote for a party instead.

The election will be held on May 22 but the count does not take place until Sunday May 25 in line with the rest of Europe.

* WILL you be voting in the European Parliament elections on May 22? Vote in our poll on the right and comment below.

8 comments

The government wanted to lower tax in our region to help struggling families and businesses a lofty idea . Do you know why it didnt go ahead? EU rules forbid the government from doing this as it would be unfair to businesses outside cornwall Lets talk about the helicopter link in Penzance. Helicopter flights from Penzance to Isles of Scilly ended and calls were made for the government to help. So to help the government was going to help partly subsidise the link to get it going again. Do you know why it didnt go ahead? EU rules forbid them getting the money as again it would be unfair to other businesses You can argue that under the EU Cornwall wouldnt get so much money in aid to help with regional funds so we would be missing out. Do you know why Cornwall doesnt get extra help from the Government? Its because it is not allowed direct investment under EU rules the government isnt allowed to interfear. (Also the money the EU gives us, thats ours to begin with by the way) Shall we talk about the EU regulations forcing the UK to close 4 coal power stations and cut C02 emitions? That has nothing to do with Cornwall i hear you say, unfortunately you wrong again. The government is forced to invest in green energy which results in vast parts of Cornwall being covered over in wind farms and solar panels.

The EU provided Objective One & Convergence funds to Cornwall - when the UK government gave Cornwall less per head for schools and council services for years compared to other parts of the UK. Money went to the university campus, to local colleges for new buildings and to local businesses, the Eden project, providing a broadband network in Cornwall (which you're probably using), soon providing superfast broadband as well.
And without EU regulations, we would still have raw S**t going out to our seas, which tourists and locals would be swimming in & getting sic.
The EU has also forced the UK to try to clean up air quality & car fuel efficiency, and the Habitats Directive protects wildlife and coastline (dolphins, seals,birds that tourists come to see), while rules about renewables have led to a lot of Cornwall based businesses benefiting from the growth in solar and wind power (controversial to some, but oil, coal and gas will not last forever & we have to get electricity from other sources sooner or later).
EU membership makes it easier to arrest criminals who flee to Europe & it means all those people who move to Spain or Portugal full or part time can still get free healthcare and receive their pension. And phoning within the EU on a mobile or within the UK is now much cheaper thanks to the EU rules.
Of course there are issues (organisations getting funding but then recruiting cream of the crop from outside Cornwall, so no-one locally gets high paid jobs, etc.). But overall there are a lot of benefits that people conveniently forget. UKIP candidates are increasingly showing themselves to be a bit racist, narrow minded and a tad old fashioned and behind the times.

No surprise there it has always been the same at elections -rarely are the candidates resident in the area the hope to represent. As for the snide comments about UKIP they have my vote as the only party wiling to do something about the shambles that is the EU.

Yes I will be voting but it won't be for the lunatic fringe called UKIP, it is a shame Jude is not higher up her party's list but thats the name of the game for these elections. To all of those who are going to vote UKIP because they say they are going to take the UK out of Europe, dream on they can take all the European seats in the Country it will make no difference, we will still be in Europe. MEP's cannot legislate for the UK to exit, it has to be the UK government, and UKIP will never get near the seat of power in this country the electorate are not that stupid, as with Farage anywhere near the decision making process will bankrupt the UK even more than it is now, so dream on UKIPers in your little englander dreams.

" ... and as Labour person may not be convinced that Cornwall should not be part of a south west 'region'. ...". Well as the "regions" are defined at EU level to help with the breakdown of national identities there is nowt that said candidate can do anyway. I'll be voting ... for anyone that can promise to get the UK OUT of the EU!
DS

And of the Cornwall pair I know that Jude Robinson is not top of the party list (parties dictate who has the best chance of winning in list elections, not the electorate) and as Labour person may not be convinced that Cornwall should not be part of a south west 'region'.
As for UKIP I dont know where this chap appears on list but as a UKIPer he would probably not support a distinct Cornish need (although their publicity seems to suggest that they are against more house building in Cornwall).
Depressing lack of choice overall.